Dealers do care
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IN Commercial Motor's dealer survey (18-24 July) produced some generally satisfactory responses — although every business knows that it needs to do better. Clearly customer satisfaction is the key to business prosperity.
But the CM piece had a couple of stings in the tail.
An operator claims that "Once they have your £50,000 what do they care?"
Not true. With the market as depressed as it is just now it is no secret that dealers have cut their prices to a minimum. Truck sales at present are a negative contributor to most dealers. Even in good times the dealer retains very little of the quoted £50,000 and dealerships simply cannot exist on vehicle sales alone.
Dealers, if they are to survive, need to develop their aftermarket in service, spares, recovery and so on.
They most certainly have to be interested in the success of individual operators businesses, and indeed in the road transport industry in general. No customers means no business.
The RMI National Truck Committee is presently looking at ways in which dealers can, or should be encouraged to help their customers further for their mutual benefit. Make no mistake, dealers are, and will continue to be, an essential and caring element of the road transport industry. Michael Mudie Chairman National Truck Committee, Retail Motor Industry Federation, London.